Yemeni Jambiya/Thuma with strange markings

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by mrwizard

@Steve
Thank you for the additional information. I already wondered if there was some meaning behind the decorations.
After your remark that scabbard and hilt were generally made seperately i had a closer look. Indeed there is a (very) small difference in the craftmanship of the scabbard. While the work might have been done by different persons, i doubt it has been done at different cities. The materials and techniques seem to be identical.
The timeframe you mentioned roughly matches the story of the seller, who told me that it was purchased right after WW2 in the UK.

@Ibrahim
That the writing on the hilt could be some kind warding glyph was also my first thought. But after the help from Michael and Dom i now suspect that it is just a maker with an artistic ambition...

Best Regards,
Thilo

Thanks... You might be right but...However... The maker does not usually inscribe rough dotted inscriptions on a piece... it is usually done by the owner afterwards. Thus it is a Djinn (the personal Djinn of the owner)... put on by him to ward off evil spirits~ in this case a very specific ''Djinn''
or nightmare!